


It’s Not A Date (If You Don’t Want It To Be)

by Faittruo



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, and bold haru, and cute gay kissing, and nervous rin, it's pretty much just dumb fluff, ooh yes very good, prompt, with cute gay dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 10:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4518807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faittruo/pseuds/Faittruo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin's ready for the 2016 Rio Olympics, ready to show the world the fruits of his labour.<br/>However, there's one last thing that Rin needs to do, something he's postponed for much too long.<br/>It's not a date. He just... Wants to show Haruka new sights.</p><p>Yeah.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	It’s Not A Date (If You Don’t Want It To Be)

**Author's Note:**

> For the 'For The Future Festival' on Tumblr. Day 3, with the 'date' prompt! Also the silver prompt, 'Aquarium'. I was planning on drawing for this festival, and I was super excited, too, except I messed my hand up, so all my cool drawing ideas were pretty much chucked out the window for the time being. I would like to note that drawing is my specialty, not writing, so unfortunately this isn't the best. I hope you enjoy it anyhow!

It was an awfully bright afternoon in Sydney’s aquatic centre. The glass windows merely amplified the intensity of the heat, ceiling fans merely dispersing the humid air. Beads of perspiration ran down Rin’s arms, undistinguishable from the many droplets of chlorinated water which had fallen from his crimson locks.

He’d just finished an intense practice session with his coach; the 2016 Rio Olympics were fast approaching, and he needed to make sure he was in peak condition. He was nearing closer and closer to his dream, and Rin was extremely excited to see all his hard work finally pay off. He was finally going to accomplish what his father hadn’t; becoming a professional athlete, swimming for the purpose of winning.

However, there was another thought on his mind, one which had been loitering for the past week.

Haruka had flown from Tokyo to meet with Rin in Australia a few months before the Olympics, the result of Rin’s persistence and Haruka’s eventual conceding.

It was an unexplainable feeling Rin had felt, a sudden _want_ for Haruka to be by his side. Despite the inconvenience Haruka was placed in, Rin had offered to pay for Haruka’s flights, his accommodation, everything. To Rin’s explicit joy, Haruka had caved and flown to Australia, and had been living in Rin’s rental apartment since then.

Rin and Haruka were still close despite the distance between them. The hardships they’d been through, the confliction of feelings; it was all what merely made their friendship treasurable. With their eventual reconcile, they had managed to regain the relationship they’d both wanted. They’d both matured, learnt to speak to each other fluently, without hesitation, and Rin was determined to preserve this relationship he’d formed with Haruka, the one he’d hoped for since they were children; a friendly rivalry, and eternal one that would last for a lifetime.

However, over the past few months, Rin had realised something unmistakably strange about this thought. They were close rivals, but he knew he felt something closer; something more than what he’d thought them as, more than he probably wanted. He wanted to try something out. After chickening out one too many times before, he’d built up the courage to at least _approach_ the older boy about it.

He was already walking to the reception, and Rin zipped up his rucksack, flung it over his shoulder and called for Haruka.

“Hey, Haru! Wait up!”

He jogged up beside Haruka, running a hand through the damp hair plastered to his forehead. Haruka had stopped walking, looking behind him at the sudden call of his name. He was taller than when they left high-school, yet he still wasn’t taller than Rin, and his skin was still just as pale.

Rin gave a hearty smile, exposing his shark-like teeth.

He bid farewell to the woman at reception with his accented English, before turning to Haruka, unwavering smile still apparent on his features.

“Wanna head on home?” Rin prompted, returning to his native tongue.

Haruka gave a blank nod, and Rin stepped in front of him, pushing open the weighty door and stepping into the blazing summer heat. Haruka squinted from the harsh sunlight, holding a hand over his eyes, and they both set off, walking back to Rin’s apartment. They walked beside each other, observing their clean surrounds. The paved trail they both followed was sheltered by two parallel lines of thick pines, trimmed grass accented by small wildflowers.

It was cool under the shelter of the surrounding trees, and Rin cleared his throat before he could reconsider his next actions.

“So, Haru… You excited for the Olympics?” Rin asked, and Haru shrugged, his response dismissing. His eyes never faltered from the path in front of him, and Rin was reminded of the fearful look he had when Rin had first taken Haruka to Australia, where Haruka had finally found the dream he would follow. Australia was a memorable place for the both of them, and although Haruka had been hesitant in flying here mere months before the Olympics, Rin could see that he was enjoying himself.

“I suppose.” Yet now, the bland, tired tone in Haru’s voice merely stated that he just wanted to go home. Rin swallowed, eyes fixated on the path in front of them, the seemingly endless row of trees growing shorter and shorter.

_Well, it’s now or never._

“Haru, I’ve been thinking… I haven’t… I haven’t actually shown you much of this city, have I? So… I-I thought that maybe, before we go to Rio… I could take you somewhere, or something?” Rin spoke as clearly as he could manage, his voice slowly reducing in volume as he mumbled the end of the sentence. They kept walking, in silence, before Haru finally spoke up, voicing his thoughts. It was a skill he had significantly improved in the past few years, and Rin found it was much easier to communicate with Haruka when he actively responded to Rin’s speech, despite his frequent one-liners. It was a skill he was developing, anyway.

“Take me where?” Haruka questioned, and Rin blinked, his eyes travelling to the dense shrubbery to the left of him.

“Well, somewhere… I haven’t decided yet.” Rin murmured, and Haruka was quiet for a moment, seemingly contemplating the idea.

“… Okay, sure.” Haruka said, voice clear, and Rin thought he may have misinterpreted Haruka’s words. He blinked, and when Haruka showed no visible sign that he was going to elaborate, Rin’s voice stumbled out a shaky string of words, voice powered by disbelief.

 “Really?” His claret eyes were wide with shock, his face turning to stare at Haruka’s perpetually blank expression. Haruka blinked, turning to look at Rin, and quirked an eyebrow at Rin’s vacant expression.

“Don’t see why not.” Haruka replied, turning away again, and a grin crept to Rin’s face.

 “So… How about Sunday? Does that suit?” Rin questioned, receiving a silent nod from Haruka, and Rin bit caught his bottom lip with his upper teeth, determined to impress the man who gave little care for anything.

He had to make this _perfect._

* * *

 “That’s it.” Rin said, drawing an elongated oval around his chosen location, a self-satisfactory grin on his face. He placed the notebook on his desk, the piece of notebook paper covered in messy notes and scribbles, many ideas angrily crossed out in blue biro. He was a helpless romantic; if it wasn’t perfect, it was a waste of time. As long as he could convey the right message, he knew it’d be a success.

He also had to take into consideration the fact that it was _Haruka_ , and to win him over, he’d undoubtedly need large quantities of water. He’d thought about the beach, but it was much too hot, and there’d be way too many people. It was Australia, in summer, and in one of the largest cities on the continent, so the beach may have as well been a festival.

The only place besides the pool Rin had thought Haruka might enjoy is the aquarium, which is romantic in itself, and it might even be less crowded considering the time of year, so it had been Rin’s final decision; he just hoped Haru would enjoy it as well.

* * *

 

 “Is... Is this a pool?”

These were Haruka’s first words when arriving at the aquarium with Rin. Haruka clearly couldn’t read the large blue signage, and had either made his assumption by the wave-like decals on the side of the building, or, not surprisingly, by his own personal preferences.

“Well…” Rin mumbled, slightly put off by Haruka’s first thoughts, and he had a rather pathetic thought that maybe he should’ve just taken Haruka to the pool.

“… You’ll find out.” Rin finished impatiently, beckoning for Haruka to follow him with a gesture of his hand.

Rin led Haruka through the heavy double doors, immediately invited by a colourful reception, souvenirs and trinkets lining the tall, cobalt walls. Rin approached the reception desk with his heavily accented speech, paying for admission to the aquarium for both him and Haruka. Rin then surveyed the room, and smiled at Haruka, again gesturing to follow.

“This way.” Rin called, and Haruka gave a faint nod, following Rin’s steps.

The mumble of foreign speech echoed through Haruka’s ears, his brain working to decipher the unusual words. Nothing made sense to him; the language was too complex, the accent making it even more difficult to understand.

As soon as Rin stepped into the aquarium, the sight stunned him, the schools of fish and brightly coloured life bringing a smile to his face. It’d been so long since he’d been here with his host family, Russell and Lori, and the sight was just as breathtaking as it had been those many years ago. The vivid surrounds were painted with life, the curved walls of glass spotless and polished, reflecting the gleam of neon blue lighting.

Rin quickly turned to see the expression on Haruka’s face, only to smile, a familiar, overwhelmed glimmer in Haruka’s wide eyes. Rin smiled, pulling Haruka forward by his arm, and they walked through the hall of water, watching the many technicoloured lifeforms dart past them.

It was overwhelmingly beautiful, and Rin found himself lost in his surrounds. The hallways were empty, the serene silence heightening the beauty of the aquarium. Rin was thankful for the lack of visitors; he and Haruka could spend their time together, alone.

Haruka stopped for a moment, eyes transfixed on a small fish which was swimming near the bottom of the aquarium, its luminescent cyan fins tinted with faint streaks of contrasting red.

“Rin, look.” Haruka ushered, and Rin bent down, looking at the small fish with an amazed smile.

“It’s so small.” Rin whispered, and he suddenly wondered how this one small fish had caught Haruka’s attention so quickly. Maybe Haruka didn’t need big things to astound him. Maybe it was the smaller things that counted the most.

Haruka’s gaze was transfixed, and Rin eventually found he spent more time admiring Haruka’s expressions rather than the aquarium itself. Rin noticed the slight raise in Haruka’s eyebrows, the faint rosy tint on his cheeks, the slight parting of his thin, soft lips every time he saw something that interested him.

It was, with all of Rin’s masculinity still intact, kinda _cute._

* * *

 

 Rin and Haruka found themselves running through the deserted halls, smiling, enjoying the time that they could spend with each other. Rin found the location hadn’t even mattered in the end; they were enjoying themselves all the same.

They both eventually came to a small room, secluded and somewhat less visible from the halls, the glass barriers filled with what seemed like two species of fish; one a bright red, the other an azure blue. They were like a blanket of colour in the otherwise empty tanks, and Haruka stood in the centre of the room, Rin soon joining him.

There was a silence, both boys staring aimlessly at their lively surroundings, before Haruka’s gentle, smooth voice was heard over the hum of the aquarium.

“Hey, Rin?” Haruka was barely heard, his voice quiet.

“Mm?” Rin hummed in questioning response. Haruka hadn’t particularly spoken much this whole time; it had mostly been Rin’s overexcited voice leading the way. Rin thought that maybe Haruka hadn’t spoken because he didn’t want to interfere with Rin’s expressive excitement, and he suddenly regretted not giving time for Haruka to express his opinion.

“… Is this… Is this a date?”

An abrupt silence filled the room they were standing in, and Rin stared, eyes wide, at Haruka’s questioning expression. Haruka’s features were unwavering; he was expecting an honest response.

Rin’s voice was weak as he tried to form a coherent sentence. It should’ve been simple, it wasn’t a date; yet the more Rin thought about it, the less realistic it sounded.

“I-It… It wasn’t, no, I mean – It isn’t a date, I didn’t…”

_Nice one, Rin._

_Real smooth._

Haruka blinked, before turning away, his eyes focusing on the aquarium surrounding them. The beautiful room was now a tight container; stuffy, small, and Rin ran his tongue over his dry lips, nerves taking control.

Moments passed, and their silence went uninterrupted, the atmosphere suddenly sullen. Neither knew what to say, what to do; and to Rin’s surprise, Haruka was the first to break the quietness of the room.

Haruka let out a very audible sigh, seemingly fed up with Rin’s failure to respond, and turned to exit. Before Rin could figure out what to say, he was grabbing Haruka’s arm, his teeth locked together, struggling to find his voice.

“… It’s not a date if you don’t want it to be.”  Rin muttered under his breath, looking away from Haruka’s gaze, yet it was fixated solely on him. Those bright, cerulean orbs were like a magnet for Rin’s attention; he couldn’t avoid them, no matter how hard he tried. Those eyes were sincere, and held more emotion than Haruka could ever put into words. The boy spoke with his eyes, and Rin had grown accustomed to this beautiful language.

Yet Haruka had learnt to use his voice around Rin, their previous miscommunications showing clear evidence that without verbal expression, Rin couldn’t decipher Haruka’s true thoughts.

 

“What if I did want it to be, then?” Haruka said clearly, his voice steady and unwavering, and Rin found it fascinatingly scary that Haruka could express his true feelings with no hesitation, no fear of the aftermath.

Maybe he could tell that there was nothing to fear.

Rin’s eyes met Haruka’s, and he acted on instinct, his hands slowly coming to rest at Haruka’s shoulders, their gaze locked. With a weak, shaky breath, Rin leaned in, hesitantly placing a feather-light kiss on Haruka’s lips, before pulling away, turning his head away with a blush.

“Dammit. You’re such an idiot.” Rin mumbled, and before he could question Haruka’s movements, Haruka had wrapped his arms around Rin, his head resting on Rin’s shoulder. Rin was overawed by Haruka’s sudden display of affection; it was so unlike him, and he froze, unsure of how to react.

The scent of Haruka’s ebony hair brought him back to his senses, chlorine and a faint hint of jasmine confirming the reality of it all. Rin relished in having Haruka so close, his tidal wave of doubts washed away in the span of mere minutes.

“… Can we do this again?” Haruka whispered, and Rin paused, blush still apparent, before he wrapped his arms around Haruka’s warm body, the humidity of the room now insignificant. Rin embraced this new warmth, holding it close, unable to let it go.

“Of course. Of course we can.” Rin whispered in response, reassuring and sweet, and was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to spill his feelings out in front of Haruka.

“I… Haru, I-“

He was cut off with a soft kiss, Haruka leaning up to meet Rin’s visibly trembling lips. They were soft; chapped yet soft, and they both smiled into the uncoordinated kiss, driven by instinct rather than experience.

“At the Olympics. Tell me then.” Haruka said after pulling away, and Rin smiled, his eyes prickling with tears. He was always one to cry in the most inopportune times.

With another gentle kiss, Rin’s arms wrapped tightly around Haruka’s waist, holding him close with unimaginable longing – he allowed his tears to fall.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is Faittruo, if you're interested. Hope you enjoyed, and have a good one!


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